15 Now-You-Know Facts That Jacked Up Our Brains
"It is a well-known fact that the ratio of the circumference of a circle to the diameter is π, so let us consider the question as to why we should believe in Pi as being anything more than 3.14. This question is based on one of the earliest recorded philosophical arguments known as Plato’s Euthyphro. It is the first recorded instance where one man asks another to prove a proposition by reason. Socrates and the Sophists used this form of reasoning as the basis of much of their teachings.
The Sophists were teachers and philosophers of Greek antiquity who taught that people are not born with certain ideas about reality but learn the correct way of thinking by following the path of rational debate (see The Socratic method). The Sophist philosophy was considered an extension of Plato's ideal republic, and Socrates' goal was to train men for positions of government. The Sophists did not believe that knowledge and wisdom were absolute or unchangeable, and so it made no sense to argue in this way when seeking to persuade an opponent."
... And that, very roughly, is what the 1897 discussion of the value of pi in the Indiana state legislature probably sounded like. Read on:
“Cutie 3.2” doesn’t have the same ring.
Aretha Franklin is a force of nature in Michigan.
Chinese checkers is not Chinese.
Sarcasm is good for your brain, suuuure.
There are small traces of gold in the food chain.
AOL and combat disks, two ancient forms of tech that went great together.
The “Una” in “Unabomber” actually means something.
One man in 945 had the worst, and best, luck in the world.
Turkey had a library full of books saved from landfills.
The Eiffel Tower leans away from the sun.
A background character in Star Wars is holding an ice cream maker.
PEZ comes from a German word.
Dr. Seuss was not liked in China.
Do not wear Pepsi colors on Coke day.
Most cultures don’t like to swap spit.
